Mike Venezia has written over two dozen very engaging books about famous artists in his series Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists. Each book in the series focuses on one particular artist, from Botticelli to Andy Warhol, from Monet to Jackson Pollock and many in between. Venezia does a great job of telling readers... Continue Reading →
The Thieves of Ostia
My children are voracious readers. In search of something that would capture my oldest's attention, I discovered The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence, the first in her The Roman Mysteries series at our local library. I made sure I read it before Nathaniel, because I was concerned about the character treatments, plot, and any... Continue Reading →
How Artists See:
Colleen Carroll has created treasures for parents who wish to teach their children about art - especially those who don't know much about art themselves. Her series of books titled How Artists See... give parents and children a common vocabulary with which to discuss paintings. Each two-page spread focuses on a different painting and guides... Continue Reading →
Otto of the Silver Hand
When I first started reading Otto of the Silver Hand, written and illustrated by Howard Pyle, I never thought I would include it as one of my favorites. But now that I have finished it, I realized it more than makes the cut. Otto of the Silver Hand is set in Medieval Europe, a time... Continue Reading →
The Cat in the Hat
No American childhood would be complete without reading Dr. Seuss's famous book The Cat in the Hat. Hollywood has taken to turning Dr. Seuss's simple children's books into movies - but as with most movies, the books are better. The Cat in the Hat tells the story of a boy and his sister, left alone... Continue Reading →
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Children studying the Revolutionary War will find What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz. Fritz starts with information every child is curious about - Franklin's childhood. Instead of boring readers with facts and figures, Fritz tells stories from Franklin's life - of how he taught himself to swim different strokes, how he studied... Continue Reading →
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
My nine-year-old just told me, "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch starts off boring, but then it gets really interesting." She did complain about listening to it in the van, but when Nathaniel Bowditch fell in love with Elizabeth - and she begged to listen to Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. She is a... Continue Reading →
McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm
Kids of all ages will enjoy the tall tales in McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm by Sid Fleischman. Fleischman has a breezy, easy-to-read writing style perfect for children. In McBroom's, Josh McBroom is on his way west with his dear wife, Melissa, and their "eleven, redheaded, freckle-faced youngsters. Their names were Willjillhesterchesterpeterpollytimtommarylarryandlittleclarinda." Try saying that ten... Continue Reading →
A Single Shard
An orphan boy and a crippled man live together under the bridge of a small Korean village in the twelfth-century. Crane-man and Tree-ear scrounge for food in the village's rubbish heaps by day. In the evenings, they discuss philosophies encountered throughout their day. For as Crane-man says, Scholars read the great words of the world. ... Continue Reading →
A Grain of Rice
This short, little story will delight both you and your children. In A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman, the peasant Pong Lo asks the Emporer of China for his daughter's hand in marriage. The Emperor, along with all his court, is scandalized by his request. How on earth could a poor farmer ask... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 